FROM THE HIMALAYAS

TO THE DELTAS

स्वयंप्रभा दासSwayamprabha Das

Fulbright Hubert Humphrey Fellow

THE HIMALAYAS: A DYNAMIC &

FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM

The Himalayas feed ten of Asia’s largest rivers

and contain the largest store of freshwater

outside the polar ice caps, resources on which

the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people

depend.

• Biodiversity hotspot: areas of diversity and endemicity for plants,

birds and amphibians

• Mountain communities are marginalised, with little access to

urban resources and limited agricultural land

• Language diversity in mountains is high, and threatened

languages are common in mountain regions

• Ecosystem services: mountains influence rainfall

patterns and mountain forests prevent erosion &

flood

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MOUNTAINS UNDER THREAT

Seven pressure variables

Mountain glaciers melt

Deforestation & land

degradation

Habitat loss and degradation

Unsuitable agriculture

Infrastructure development

Forest fires

Earthquake hazard

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CLIMATE CHANGE & WATER RESOURCES

Stresses- changes in regional rainfall patterns, precipitation in higher altitudes as rain, glacier melt

Shocks – extreme events become more likely, salinisation of ground water

(Source: Stern Review: Economics of Climate Change)

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UNCERTAINITY

of magnitude;

location and timing

of effects

Some of the possible identified implications

of climate change on water resources

Decline in the glaciers and the

snowfields in the Himalayas;

Increased drought like situations

due to overall decrease in the number

of rainy days over a major part of the

country;

Increased flood events due to

overall increase in the rainy day

intensity;

Effect on groundwater quality in

alluvial aquifers due to increased flood

and drought events;

Source: NATIONAL WATER MISSION

under National Action Plan on Climate Change

THE MELTING GLACIERS:

IMPACTS ON WATER RESOURCES

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River runoff will initially increase in winter or spring but will eventually decrease as a result of loss of ice resources

Decreases in snow accumulation and glacial retreat - lead to acute water shortages in the future. Drinking water shortage (a billion

people approx. in the HKH region)

Unfavourable for downstream agriculture & fisheries

Integrated Approach

Watershed management

River Basin management

Wetlands management

Land

management

RESPONDING TO CHANGES

Human responses-

Understanding the changes – awareness

Building resilience of the communities

Securing livelihoods

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Ecosystem responses-

1. Freshwater: changes in

organism abundance and

productivity, range expansions,

and phenological shifts

(including earlier fish

migrations) that are linked to

rising temperatures.

2. Forests: shifting the timing of

life-cycle events (e.g.,

blooming, migrating); shifting

range boundaries (e.g., moving

poleward) or the changing

morphology (e.g., body or egg

size); reproduction or genetics;

extirpation or extinction

As the WATER flows:

the downstream effects

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Changes will be observed in the following areas:

Flood plains- rich agricultural lands (granary)

Fisheries

Dams and irrigation canals

Tourism

Biodiversity – species of fishes, fresh water dolphins, crocodiles, turtles, birds, etc

Coastal & Marine ecosystems:

changes in phenology and distribution: risingwater temperatures, changes in salinity, oxygenlevels and circulation

IMPACTING LIVELIHOODS of the coastalcommunities living near the river deltas

VISIBLE IMPACTS- INDIA

1998Dokriani Barnak

Glaicer retreated

20m & Gangotri

Glacier ~ 30m.

Glacial retreat

If the present trend continues, then over the

next 25 years, the Ganga could initially swell in

volume because of increased melting but then

dry out as the water supply in the mountains

runs low. This will endanger the lives of about

400 million people who live in the river's plains

and depend upon it for their supply of water.

(IPCC,Third Assessment Report, 2001)

High AltitudeWetlands:

Ladakh many obvious changes in the

regional climate of the area have

already been observed. Some of

these changes are:

• Changes in rainfall pattern.

• Receding glaciers in the region.

• Rising level of glacial lakes such

asTsomoriri andYayaTso.

• Unusual floods in July 2005 and

August 2006

(WWF Report)

Source: earth observatory.nasa.gov

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Delta Ecosystem

impacted by the flow of

fresh waters

• Fisheries: Eg. Hilsa

(Tenualosa ilisha)

• Mangrove Forests

POLICY Initiatives - India

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National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), 2008

o National Mission for Sustaining theHimalayan Ecosystem: The plan aims toconserve biodiversity, forest cover, and otherecological values in the Himalayan region,where glaciers that are a major source ofIndia’s water supply are projected to recede asa result of global warming.

o National Water Mission: With waterscarcity projected to worsen as a result ofclimate change, the plan sets a goal of a 20%improvement in water use efficiency throughpricing and other measures.

Himalayan Chief

Ministers’ Conclave

(30 Sept 2009, Shimla) -

next is planned to be held

in Dehradun, 2011

State Action Plan on Climate Change

RIVER BASIN OF THE HINDU KUSH

HIMALAYAS

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International Water (in)Security: South Asia

International water security issues within Asia could be likely since

the waters of the Indus, Ganges and the Brahmaputra basins

flow into China in the upstream, and are shared across South Asia

in the downstream

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Five countries, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and China

are considered riparian neighbors of this huge basin.

WATER DIPLOMACY IN SOUTH ASIA

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India- Pakistan: Indus WaterTreaty 1960

India-Bangladesh: sharing of the Ganga waters specially in lean period

Treaty 1977, replaced by MoU -1982 (lasted till 1988)

Ganga Water SharingTreaty (Dec 1996)

(manage the water between the two countries during the dry season)

Farakka Barrage

o Tipaimukh dam (Manipur)

o Teesta dam (Sikkim)

India- Nepal: Flood management & Hydro power generation

Kosi Agreement, 1954 (Regulate flow of river & ensure flood management)

MahakaliTreaty, June 1997

Kosi Barrage – floods of 2008

o Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project (Joint Group of Experts (JGE)

constituted in 1978)

* Joint River Commission- no independent power to formulate

& implement solutions

THE WAY FORWARD…

Need to reduce scientific uncertainty- regular monitoring of glaciers –

a Joint Commission of Experts from the Himalayan realm countries

Investment in natural barriers /infrastructures

Land and water management

Setting up of a common ‘Knowledge sharing mechanism’

Adaptation and mitigation measures for potential glacial lakes

Reduce risk from seasonal and flash floods

Trans-boundary dialogue on water sharing at the government level needs to include:

Payment for Ecosystem Services

Water (use) Equity

Maintaining minimum Environmental Flows

Gender

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R. Brahmaputra

Regional co-operation in

water resource

management - new

heights!

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अप्सस्वन्तार्म्रित्मप्ससू भेषजं IWater is the elixir of life, water has

medicinal value. (4/4 Atharvaveda)